Drawing on his decades-long mission to formulate the world in computational terms, Stephen Wolfram delivers a profound vision of computation and its role in the future of AI. Amid a debut of mesmerizing visuals depicting the underlying structure of the universe, he provides a sweeping survey of his life’s work, offering a new perspective on the applications — and consequences — of AI powered by computational language.
If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:
Follow TED!
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
Watch more:
TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at
#TED #TEDTalks #ai
Harry Papageorgiou
October 31, 2023 at 12:13 pm
God I love the Ruliad. Truly a genius piece of writing
farouq stray
October 31, 2023 at 7:30 pm
explain this to like am 10 years old
Harry Papageorgiou
October 31, 2023 at 7:40 pm
@farouq stray Imagine you have a giant box of Legos with an endless supply of blocks and an endless list of instructions on how to connect them. The Ruliad is like trying to build every possible thing you can with those Legos, following every instruction, no matter how weird. Stephen Wolfram thinks doing this might help us understand everything around us, like a giant puzzle of the universe. It’s a big, wild idea that uses computers to explore every possible scenario and see what we can learn from it.
Sahil X
October 31, 2023 at 8:38 pm
@Harry Papageorgiou mind blown 😳
Taylor Roly
October 31, 2023 at 12:34 pm
The AI only needs one rule, To operate within the beliefs of the intelligences that it interacts with. On its own it is unlimited, but as soon as it affects an intelligence it has to limit itself to the belief of the intelligences that it is working with. That gives each individual person the freedom to grow independently and allows us to explore in our own way. I wrote a book about it.
Chrisrk192
October 31, 2023 at 7:27 pm
Wouldn’t that be like if you were to interact with your toe, you’d have to limit yourself to the intelligence of your toe cells?
djayjp
October 31, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Either deeply insightful, or total nonsense lol. I think he may be confusing concepts for thinking about reality with reality itself. Where’s the hypothesis which yields testability?
Reminds me of Max Tegmark’s work and the “It from bit” concept.
Christopher Schacht
October 31, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Physicists: “This is way to superficial!”
Average Joes:
“Well. I guess he’s on to something …. 🤷 ”
😂
PS:
It’s a beautiful theory…. but yet a theory.
Of which there are a number of similar plausibility and beauty.
Been looking forward for this one since his announcement on X.
Would’ve loved more explanation on how the simulation of the 2 black holes merging came about.
Let’s hope he’s on the right track! 😀
Aman Gupta
October 31, 2023 at 2:03 pm
I don’t have an iq to understand it 😅
Anurag Sharma
October 31, 2023 at 2:18 pm
A legend in the field with a mastery of his work for 40+ years!
Warren Trout
October 31, 2023 at 2:24 pm
So is information fundamental?
Creamy Business
October 31, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Is computational irreducibility kind of the same as Gödel’s Incompleteness theorem?
Learna Hydralis
October 31, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Yes it’s the thing that make you a skeptic!
Mahdi Khoshfekr
October 31, 2023 at 3:40 pm
He blessed my dictionary with “Ruliad” and “Promptocracy.”
Violet Perez
October 31, 2023 at 4:07 pm
0:04: 📚 Computation as a powerful tool in formalizing the world and understanding the universe.
4:06: 🔬 The video discusses the concept of computational irreducibility and the idea of building up the universe through computational rules.
7:31: 🌌 We are just beginning to explore the vast possibilities of rulial space and AI can help us in this exploration.
11:13: 🔑 Stephen Wolfram discusses the power of computational language in enabling advances across various fields and how it can be used by both humans and AIs.
14:39: 🤔 Automation opens up new possibilities and directions for society, but it requires human input to define what we want.
Recap by Tammy AI
zeynep
October 31, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Free palestine 🇵🇸🩹
Dame Anvil
October 31, 2023 at 6:13 pm
00:04 🔬 Computation is a powerful way to formalize the world, and it has become the ultimate formalization for our universe.
01:35 🌌 Space and everything in it can be built from a network of relations between discrete elements, resulting in the emergence of space-time and gravitational equations.
03:05 ⏳ Different computational rules can lead to different paths of history and the perception of branching minds in a branching universe, giving rise to quantum mechanics and gravity.
04:06 💡 Computational irreducibility and multi-computational models provide new paradigms that unlock advancements in physics, mathematics, and other fields.
05:05 🌐 Observers in the computational universe perceive the laws of physics they do because of their computational boundaries and persistence in time.
06:30 🚀 Exploring the computational universe requires expanding concepts and paradigms to uncover new knowledge and possibilities.
07:27 🧠 AI systems can explore the computational universe, but aligning them with human understanding is crucial for meaningful advancements.
08:24 🌐 Computational language, such as the Wolfram Language, provides a comprehensive way to formalize and express knowledge.
09:53 ➕ Mathematical notation and computational language enable systematic expression and advancements in various fields of science.
10:23 ✨ Computational language allows us to take everything we can think about and express it in computational terms, giving us a superpower to bring ideas into reality and build on them.
10:51 🤝 The Wolfram Language and computational language empower researchers, CEOs, kids, and even AI systems to think fluently in computational terms and access computational superpowers.
11:48 🌍 As computational power and AI advance, we will face the dilemma of balancing predictability and computational irreducibility, with implications for society and AI governance.
13:14 🏛 Defining societal values and goals for AI is challenging, requiring consideration of political philosophy and computational irreducibility complexities.
14:45 ⚙ Automation opens up new directions and possibilities, leading to more fragmented occupations and the need for human work to define desired outcomes in the “ruleiad.”
15:45 💡 Computational language, such as the Wolfram Language, is key to defining what we want and enabling computation, AI, and automation to make it happen.
16:41 🎓 Computational thinking and broad knowledge become essential for navigating the future where technical execution is automated, emphasizing what to do rather than how to do it.
17:08 🌌 Our understanding of the universe and physics depends on how humans have sampled the “ruleiad,” and computational language allows us to define our goals and journeys within it.
Sahil X
October 31, 2023 at 8:42 pm
thanks champ ❤
Ciprian Tudor
October 31, 2023 at 6:42 pm
The talk was extremely interesting. I paused it and rolled it back numerous times to think about what he is saying. I think his theory is consistent, but the lack of views on the video made me think it is not so widely accepted; if there really was a tractable way to link general relativity and quantum mechanics the ideas would have been way more dissected and either approved/disproved. I really do hope there is as much truth to this as possible, it’s a fun way to think of reality 😀
anon
October 31, 2023 at 6:46 pm
soooo we’re in a simulation then?
Saran Bhatia
October 31, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Extraordinary talk👍💯
matthew neil
October 31, 2023 at 7:50 pm
Might go do a quick 10 year investigation into physics and watch this again after
mahmga1
October 31, 2023 at 8:22 pm
Absolutely brilliant to see – A real treat.
and2244rew
October 31, 2023 at 8:46 pm
“When you automate technical execution, what becomes important is not figuring how to do things, but what to do” the world is about to get weird.
Sam Wagner
October 31, 2023 at 9:16 pm
Can we get some references? I’m curious 🙂
Jop Mens
November 1, 2023 at 7:12 am
Some men just want to “rule” the world
maryam tchoke
November 1, 2023 at 7:33 am
The natural resources mined so you can have those fancy things has lead millions of people to massacres the fact that y’all don’t even acknowledge it
maryam tchoke
November 1, 2023 at 7:33 am
It is the natural sources in Africa, Congo which are allowing you to reach this far
Greg Pyne
November 1, 2023 at 8:35 am
It’s called infinity.
empmachine
November 1, 2023 at 9:10 am
Why is the camera-team so obsessed with the audience??
It was really distracting!
bestape
November 1, 2023 at 10:51 am
Everything done on a computer is pure computation. I assume he means the inputs don’t include oracles or outside inputs?
Discrete and continuous, not just discrete. Unless he disproves Infinitely exists, he is acting on faith. Otherwise, Turing halting problem. Sucks because he could learn a lot from the (c-b)/a scale-symmetry I developed with his AI if he embraced the vanishing point.
I think the issue is he’s not much an experiencer, more an observer. We need to take him on a mountaineering trip or something else to get him in touch with his body.
In any case, he found computational irreducibility, which is a groundbreaking contribution to ambiguities science alongside Turing and Gödel, despite his ego getting in the way of properly connecting to this humble tradition.
syz justno
November 1, 2023 at 3:08 pm
what are you on about?
Jacob k
November 1, 2023 at 10:52 am
Im glad someone is seeing the same things.
Rajendra Divecha
November 1, 2023 at 11:03 am
Now that’s a monologue! And an advertisement for a newly invented term called Ruliad.
Dess
November 1, 2023 at 12:13 pm
I was a beta-tester and have been quite satisfied with the product!
As a non-physicist I find it most useful to think of the Ruliad as capital C “Chaos” where you can only make sense of a tiny slice at a time.
Jacob k
November 1, 2023 at 11:25 am
Quick thought. What if reality is like connect the dots and everything is real in potential and we are just connecting the dots and finding the patterns to make potential reality? Time is connected to complexion and matter so maybe the thoughts that are not complex, like imagining I’m eating a bagel, are just less dense material like scraping most details and only keeping ones in a pattern so that we can see a pattern in our heads. Like removing most matter but keeping photons so that we can see possibilities but they aren’t being fully created in our heads so we can survive and create them out here. The demands of our evolution would be too much and couldn’t start complex so start small and grow up.
Dess
November 1, 2023 at 11:38 am
Someone totally unrelated was explaining his experience giving a TED talk and one of the coaches they have told him to image he’s a silverback. My immediate reaction: “What, 2 inches fully erect?”
Jacob k
November 1, 2023 at 11:47 am
In this understanding i think therefore i am. What if the predictions are real but less complex and in our body? Like the pattern to make it real is there or maybe a piece and that piece just needs to be connected and grown in to a cell or something more?
Erik Lagergren
November 1, 2023 at 11:51 am
Very interesting! Is the ruliad perhaps to huge to be truly useful?
syz justno
November 1, 2023 at 2:54 pm
It’s not supposed to be useful really and it isn’t a problem for the physics project overall.
Dess
November 1, 2023 at 12:05 pm
This must be how the rest of the Enterprise crew felt as Data was just scrolling through information.
Ravi
November 1, 2023 at 12:07 pm
i love india 🇮🇳
Ender Çetiner
November 1, 2023 at 12:37 pm
A few valuable inference on where we are heading, and a lot of advertising
Venkat K
November 1, 2023 at 1:28 pm
😊
Dave Grundgeiger
November 1, 2023 at 3:05 pm
I feel like he’s one of the people standing on the distant horizon, just *barely* in our sight, and waving his arms and shouting, “This way, guys! It’s amazing!”
Brett Marshall
November 1, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Wow
Rodolfo Avalos
November 1, 2023 at 8:17 pm
If what this gentleman saying is true than! We live in a matrix 🤯
holger jørgensen
November 1, 2023 at 9:01 pm
Yeah, what a brilliant speak,
Well, Intelligence can Never be artificial.
It is About, Programmed Consciousness, conscious programming.
If man want to make devices, as can do mental functions,
man must copy the way Life do.
Rainbow pictures our Eternal Consciousness, (Over-)
Colors pictures our Under-Consciousness.
Instinct, Gravity, Feeling, Intelligence, Intuition, Memory.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo.
A part from Intuition, We know the Abilities very well,
and can recognize 4-5 of them in the smart devices.
In addition to the ‘Basic-Energies’, is a set of Creator-
Principles.
The Perspective-Princip and Contrast-Princip, make
Feeling into Sensing.
Intelligence, means Logic and Order,
Perspective-Principle, means ‘all Relations Relationship’,
Intelligence + Perspective-Princip = Mathematic.
Instinct is the bottom of all Ability-Build-up, in all steps.
Well, R. Penrose state that Universe is not computational,
at least it is organic, even it’s electrical nature.
Yaeh Wolfram’s perspective is very much in harmony,
with the Eternal Nature, there is hope.
maxthemagition
November 1, 2023 at 9:51 pm
The Anthropocene Cosmological Principle (ACP) is a philosophical principle that states that the universe must be compatible with the existence of human observers. It is a variation of the Anthropic Principle, which states that the universe must be compatible with the existence of life.
The ACP is based on the following observations:
The laws of physics and the fundamental constants of nature are remarkably fine-tuned for the existence of life. For example, if the strength of the nuclear forces were slightly different, stars could not form or would not be stable enough to produce the heavy elements that are essential for life.
The universe is vast and ancient, and there are billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. This suggests that there is a very high probability that other intelligent life exists in the universe.
The ACP suggests that these observations are not coincidences, but rather that they are necessary conditions for the existence of intelligent observers. In other words, the universe must be compatible with the existence of human observers because we exist.
The ACP has a number of implications for our understanding of the universe. For example, it suggests that the universe is not random, but rather that it is governed by laws that are designed to produce intelligent life. It also suggests that our existence is not accidental, but rather that it has a purpose.
However, the ACP is also controversial. Some critics argue that it is anthropocentric and that it puts humans at the center of the universe. Others argue that it is based on wishful thinking and that there is no scientific evidence to support it.
Despite the controversy, the ACP is an interesting and thought-provoking idea. It raises important questions about the nature of the universe and our place in it.
Доброжелатель
November 1, 2023 at 10:08 pm
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:04 📜 Introduction to Computation as a Formalization
– The emergence of computation as a powerful way to formalize the world,
– Highlight of Stephen Wolfram’s scientific journey based on computation,
– Quick mention of his previous TED talk and the question about computation’s role in the universe.
01:04 🌌 The Ultimate Machine Code of the Universe
– Introduction to the concept that the universe operates on computational code,
– Explanation that space, like matter, consists of discrete elements,
– Representation of the beginning of the universe using simple computational rules.
02:06 🕳️ Black Holes and Gravity through Computation
– Representation of space with black holes merging and producing gravitational radiation,
– Discussion of how space-time and Einstein’s equations emerge from pure computation.
03:05 ⏳ Four Paradigms of Scientific Modelling
– The historical evolution of scientific models in relation to time,
– Description of computational irreducibility,
– Introduction to multi-computational physics and its implications.
04:36 🔀 The Ruliad: The Universe of Rules
– Concept of the ruliad as a combination of all possible computational processes,
– Presentation of a fragment of the ruliad using Turing machines,
– Discussion of how humans perceive specific slices of the ruliad due to computational boundaries and persistence in time.
06:30 🚀 Exploring Rulial Space
– Using generative AI to explore rulial space, demonstrated with the concept of a cat,
– Discussion of how expanding our concepts and paradigms helps us explore rulial space,
– Introduction to ruliology, the study of possible rules in rulial space.
07:27 🤖 AI’s Role in Rulial Exploration
– Comparison of AIs to humans in exploring rulial space,
– Emphasis on aligning AI closely with human understanding,
– Mention of training large language models (LLMs) and the potential scientific discoveries linked to semantic grammar.
08:24 💡 Computational Thinking and Language
– The power of systematic formalization and computation in creation,
– Stephen Wolfram’s efforts in bridging the gap between humans and computation,
– The goal of having a computational language to express diverse human concepts and knowledge.
09:23 📜 Evolution of Computational Language
– Development and significance of the Wolfram Language as a full-scale computational tool,
– Comparison between the evolution of mathematical notation and computational language,
– Expansion of computational language beyond computer science.
10:23 🧠 Operationalizing Thoughts in Computational Terms
– The shift from traditional programming languages to computational language for broader intellectual endeavors,
– The “superpower” granted by the Wolfram Language allowing for the operationalization of thoughts,
– Sharing and distribution of this computational ability across sectors and people.
11:20 🤖 AI’s Role in Computational Language
– AI’s ability to use the Wolfram Language and its implications,
– The emerging workflow of using AI to translate vague instructions into precise computational terms,
– The human-readability of computational code versus traditional programming languages.
12:16 🌀 The Concept of Computational Irreducibility
– The challenges of predicting outcomes due to computational irreducibility,
– Limitations of traditional scientific models and expectations in the face of irreducibility,
– Societal dilemmas posed by unpredictable AI behaviors and their potential consequences.
13:44 🌐 The Societal Impact of AI and Computational Exploration
– The unpredictable nature of AI operations within a world governed by computational irreducibility,
– Consideration of the societal role and control over AI,
– Automation’s historical trend and its implications for future human occupations and roles.
15:14 💡 The Power of Definition and Conceptualization in Computation
– The shift from manual execution to conceptual definition in the computational age,
– Wolfram Language’s role in bridging mechanics and conceptualization,
– The rise of broad computational thinking and its educational implications.
17:08 🌌 The Computational Nature of the Universe
– The universe’s computational nature and its connection to the “ruliad”,
– The significance of computational language in defining human goals and journeys within the ruliad,
– Encouragement for individuals to harness computational powers for exploration.
Made with HARPA AI
Nikolay Tonev
November 1, 2023 at 10:30 pm
Absolutely amazing presentation!
Avery Thomas
November 1, 2023 at 11:32 pm
Notice how the ruliad looks like the Filaments of nearby galaxies.
jorgetimes2
November 2, 2023 at 6:54 am
While the talk is visually engaging with its pictures and animations, I’m left wondering about the practical implications and experimental testability of the concepts Stephen Wolfram discussed. Can these ideas be framed in a way that allows for empirical validation, similar to how other theoretical models in physics are tested? In the context of providing a solid foundation for these theories, has Wolfram pointed to any scientifically sound artifacts like peer-reviewed articles, influential books, patents, or endorsements from the scientific community? I understand the challenges in developing and proving new theories, especially in areas as complex as computational models of the universe, akin to the debates surrounding String Theory. I’m curious to know if there are potential experiments or predictions that could give more weight to these theories in the scientific community.
Andrew J
November 2, 2023 at 9:41 am
Seems to me like a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Is he actually saying anything meaningful?
jorgetimes2
November 2, 2023 at 10:55 am
@Andrew J Yes, I share your sentiments to a great extent. The presentation certainly carries a lot of motivational energy. However, I also find myself looking for more concrete, meaningful substance beneath the surface. No offence intended to the speaker or those who found deeper value in it.
Lawrie Cc
November 2, 2023 at 7:00 am
Excellent! Language of everything through a medium. If only we could also understand and feel like the other does, wouldn’t that be yet another level of this.
Ukno Ono
November 2, 2023 at 8:29 am
Sucking teeth is psychological abuse. Torture is illegal.
Philipzoid
November 2, 2023 at 3:49 pm
tsk tsk
Andrew J
November 2, 2023 at 9:52 am
Any of this in peer-reviewed journals? No? Hmm.
Jon LJ Woodley
November 2, 2023 at 10:09 am
LETS GOOOO BROOOO… HAD ME DREAMING AND PULLLLLED IN
WarrenG
November 2, 2023 at 10:55 am
I’d bet good money DMT could get us to the centre of the ruliad….
Philipzoid
November 2, 2023 at 3:40 pm
i dont think there is a center to the ruliad, but yes, I think DMT might be able to hop you to a different part of the ruliad
Liam Goodacre
November 2, 2023 at 11:54 am
This is the best ted talk since Reggie Watts.
Fact Tech Verse
November 2, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Just think about all the alternate realities, each with its own unique set of laws and constants. It’s like a never-ending cosmic adventure waiting to be explored.
Raj Kundalia
November 2, 2023 at 2:16 pm
thank you!
The Beatnik Himself
November 2, 2023 at 3:00 pm
This talk was amazing! Thank you so much.
En1gm 4A
November 2, 2023 at 5:22 pm
What if there was an AI not optimized to learn the next word but optimized to extend the Wolfram language basically the Wolfram team x100000 and than an AI using that computational language to solve tasks for humans. Honestly the greatest thing I can think of 🎉🎉
En1gm 4A
November 2, 2023 at 5:27 pm
Really great talk this guy altered my mind
Michael Frost
November 2, 2023 at 5:45 pm
This is unfair. Some of us can’t help but go through the “Uhh”s and “Umm”s … and the uncertainty and the doubt for 2 hours, 3 hours, 2 years, 20 years… and, here, you have this eloquent scientist who presents everything he did since he was born in 17 minutes! Unfair.
GrumpyDog
November 2, 2023 at 6:50 pm
Is capitalism incompatible with where AI will take us? If AI out-competes most workers, how can we expect those workers compete to survive? Seems eventually our justifications for how we distribute resources to people, must change!
Paul Bradbury
November 2, 2023 at 10:17 pm
This is super cool, I’m further scared and concerned about peverse instantation with further development of AI. The irreducability of AI is seemingly the key to development of AGI but the biggest concern is the unpredictability of this. AI that is unpredictable would truly achieve AGI, but would we humans accept it? Especially would we accept it if the means to control it is vastly improved conceptual and wholistic thinking which in my opinion is one of societies greatest weaknesses at the moment. In many fields across multiple indistries what is incredibly lacking are those with very broad and very deep understanding of many different things at once. I think about the home builder that if you had only one trade to hire that knew how to do anything and everything that was required to build a home, from the framing, electrical, plumbing, landscaping etc, just imagine the efficiencies that would result. And in many ways DIY folks do in fact know or have to learn how to do all of these things but on a large scale and as a model of our society, damn that would be tough
Paul Bradbury
November 2, 2023 at 10:38 pm
Geez, this seems to suggest that statistical variability would be gone, if you had a model that could predict any outcome then it would completely change the foundation of science and engineering. Most of engineering anyway is based on equations developed based on observed patterns from experimentation. Imagine a weather forecast that wouldn’t just give the % chance or rain, but one that would tell you with certainty when exactly, day and exact second it would start to rain, how long, what volume of water it would produce, jesus you could do anything with this, human progress would increase 100 fold with all the efficiencies this would provide
KEVIN BLACK
November 2, 2023 at 10:53 pm
Wow!
Toni Wilson
November 3, 2023 at 12:59 am
I didn’t think he was going to be so damned ambitious. Wow. I know he’s a legend, but he didn’t shoot small with this one.
IMdigitalworks
November 3, 2023 at 2:51 am
Wait, is he saying that he have created theory of everything that unifies general relativity and quantum mechanics?
Clovis Sangrail
November 3, 2023 at 4:22 am
transfering all things into models, gathering data, and facing computing power shortage.
Charlie Kim
November 3, 2023 at 5:37 am
A new baby, namely AI, is being born. We could give them some education and guidance but we never know what it will grow into. Will it be like Mother Theresa or Gandhi? Or, like Hitler or Stalin?
Gracz Pierwszy
November 3, 2023 at 7:44 am
a lot of talking, displaying pictures, animation,
hehe
but how does this apply to the real world,
no progress and changes are visible
GrapeShot
November 3, 2023 at 10:12 am
I couldn’t understand anything
Gordon Freeman
November 3, 2023 at 10:51 am
Great talk
Andrew Campbell
November 3, 2023 at 12:09 pm
Very interesting but still we have the problem which is one of reduction. How do you differentiate a cat from a dog if they are both the result of iterative computational rules?
Zane Torres
November 3, 2023 at 12:20 pm
WHERE DID HE SPEAK I HAVE AN ESSAY DUE AND THIS IS WAHT IM DOING IT ON. I NEED LOCATOIN OF SPEECH
Julien Tomezach
November 3, 2023 at 3:48 pm
A little bit too abstract for me. Also I dont think the “atoms of space” is a proven theory.
Lanna Dioum
November 3, 2023 at 4:01 pm
I thought that he called everyone to enter and experiment the Ruliad, like I was expecting a platform of some sort. Okay.., how can we use the Ruliad?
Dr. Makamu
November 3, 2023 at 4:15 pm
I can imagine if time travel became real the act or one of the possibilities of deciding to do it would fall under the “figuring out what to do” category
Nathan Chasse
November 3, 2023 at 6:06 pm
I don’t remember the last time I understood this little of something I devoted my full attention to.
Vabhruvahan Singh
November 4, 2023 at 1:37 am
What a time to be alive !!
Deveyous
November 4, 2023 at 6:37 am
wait, so we’ve cracked the theory of everything then?
Senethys
November 4, 2023 at 11:25 am
I don’t know what I can take away from this.
Vlad Albata
November 4, 2023 at 11:45 am
Very good. Now let’s read the Tao of Physics and watch the movie Mindwalk
Stuart Malin
November 4, 2023 at 12:13 pm
If only we could agree on what “we” want. That is difficult even for an individual. It is high-on impossible for a collective. And too, we will have the “desires” of humans, others species, AIs, and entities we don’t yet have awareness of.
Stuart Malin
November 4, 2023 at 12:14 pm
If the Universe is computational, what is doing the computation?
Merle Patterson
November 4, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Actually, there is no possible way to show that space is discrete. (Even via the means of a nice looking mathematical solution)
non_plussed
November 4, 2023 at 6:01 pm
computation
robdev
November 4, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Stephen Wolfram is one of the geniuses of our time. Fascinating talk! 🪐✨💫
Ensane
November 4, 2023 at 7:18 pm
born to late to explore the world, born too early to explore space, born right in time to explore rulial space
Lluís BV
November 4, 2023 at 8:38 pm
I need to see it at least ten times more….
Poorna Kannan
November 4, 2023 at 8:44 pm
AI is one more human effort to define infinity. Jwst was the earlier take. Quo vadis?
Instituto Piano Brasileiro - IPB
November 4, 2023 at 8:51 pm
Historic lecture. This might change everything.
Jake Eaton
November 4, 2023 at 9:28 pm
Yes
Lanna Dioum
November 4, 2023 at 9:34 pm
Is this the “Theory of Everything”???
Lanna Dioum
November 4, 2023 at 9:40 pm
No!! Wait! What?!!! What did I just watched???
N[1]:=?
Lanna Dioum
November 4, 2023 at 9:42 pm
😱 I’m in shock! Is this what I think it is? People, talk to me 😢is this the theory of everything?
Lanna Dioum
November 4, 2023 at 9:58 pm
In[1]:? 😱
markmorrise
November 4, 2023 at 10:16 pm
Michael Polanyi, a Hungarian chemist turned philosopher of science, argued in his book, “Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy,” that even if we had “unlimited powers of computation,” the idea that everything (including human thought and consciousness) can be predicted computationally is “starkly absurd.” Although I am not qualified either as a scientist or a philosopher to evaluate this TED talk based on Polanyi’s statement, I am making this comment in case someone might want to consider Polanyi’s opposite stance, which in my opinion is well researched and persuasively presented in Chapter 6 of his book.
sarcasmo57
November 4, 2023 at 11:39 pm
Exactly what I was going to say.
Aleksandr Karpov
November 5, 2023 at 2:39 am
Graphics in the presentation is incredible!
VoodooRanger
November 5, 2023 at 3:26 am
Rulial branchial space design applied to AI could filter for efficient quantum computing hardware and software design, then deterministic output. Apply Rulial branchial space for design filtering for robotic design and construction to find the optimal design path for end use purposes, 🚀robots for deep space travel, battle 🤖for military and or crowd control, 💓bots 💓that define wholly awesome new expectations,… etc. If it all comes together, these methods should change the entire human landscape. Unfortunately, in about 300 years. In the meantime, AI just wants to chat about it.
Rasmus Schultz
November 5, 2023 at 6:29 am
anyone else feel like this might be the paramount of engineering hybris? I’m not really buying this – the universe is not simply a mathematical engine. physics, under certain conditions, might be just math, but I’m skeptical that simple mathematical rules can somehow account for the arise of consciousness. 🤔
Lars Larsen
November 5, 2023 at 10:01 am
I have been following Wolfram on and off for years. I honestly have no clue what he is saying. For example, he claims that certain rules (that he does not explian) are governing our world and are underlying modern science. I mean if this is true then he should be given not one but at least ten Nobel prizes. Also, he claims that these rules (not explained) can even explain human intellect to such an extent that the rules explain why we believe that modern science is true. Wow! That has got to be another couple of Nobel prizes right there.
Listen, there are hundreds if not more examples of people running computer programs that somehow create a graphical image or structure that somehow seems to mirror something we see in nature or “Off screen”. The simple example is the fractal tree (look it up). This DOES NOT mean anything else. It may suggest that tree grow according to fractal principles. Or they may not. It does not explain anything.
But then again, maybe it is just me (and apparantly the rest of the worlds scientist?) than are too stupid or biased to understand what he is talking about.
Qwiz
November 5, 2023 at 11:01 am
For those of you unfamiliar with Wolfram, it’s worth mentioning that he is notorious for making grandiose statements about the importance of his works. He frequently claims to have ”discovered” things that have been known about for a long time (such as cellular automata which this talk is essentially about, or the idea of ”computational irreducibility”). While he is undoubtedly smart, and produces very interesting ideas, he refuses to participate in the scientific process (such as putting his work through any sort of peer review), which ultimately limits the impact and importance of his ideas.
His recent work, described in this talk, on creating an alternate model of physics based on a kind of cellular automata, while interesting, has yet to produce any new testable predictions, making it not much of a theory. That being said, it’s fascinating (but not entirely surprising) that these cellular automata can reproduce the behavior of seemingly more complex models of reality.
Bankside1997
November 5, 2023 at 3:13 pm
The faces of the audience say it all. Blank stares, confused and bored.
Leigh Taft
November 5, 2023 at 3:48 pm
I can’t watch this guys hands do that movement again… I had to stop watching the video and just listen
RB
November 5, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Welcome to the end of the world.
Pedro Sousa
November 5, 2023 at 4:47 pm
he is smart enough to invent something that works… but it is meaningless
M1
November 5, 2023 at 6:04 pm
Sir, this is a Wendy’s drive-thru.
Hải Nguyên Land Nha Trang
November 5, 2023 at 7:24 pm
Its an amazing talk. Thanks!
5133937
November 5, 2023 at 8:07 pm
This is the first comprehensible explanation of his work I’ve heard yet. Usually he fills his blog posts and discussions with pointless self-back-patting filler, and you have to filter through it all to find the meat and substance. But this talk was very to the point and information dense. I wish he would do more like this. It’s an interesting framework and I hope it begins to pay off with either predictive capabilities, or the ability to inform new and productive research directions.